The day after we celebrate the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, the Church remembers Our Lady of Sorrows. It is a beautiful and deeply human memorial that invites us to look at the Cross through the heart of Mary.
Mary knew what it meant to love someone deeply and to suffer because of that love. From the beginning of Jesus' life, she remained faithful to God, even when she did not understand everything that was happening. And at the foot of the Cross, she stood there as a mother watching her Son suffer and die.
Mary could not take Jesus' suffering away. She could not change what was happening. But she stayed. She remained beside Him when almost everyone else had disappeared.
That is one of the most powerful things Mary teaches us.
Sometimes we cannot fix another person's suffering. We cannot take away their illness, grief, loneliness, or pain. But we can stay. We can listen. We can pray. We can hold someone's hand. We can simply let them know, “You are not alone.”
Mary understands the pain of a mother's heart, the pain of loss, and the pain of watching someone she loves suffer. That is why we can turn to her with confidence in our own moments of sorrow.
The title “Our Lady of Sorrows” does not mean that Mary is a woman defined by sadness. Rather, her sorrow became an expression of her faith and love. She remained faithful even when the road became painful.
And there is hope at the heart of this memorial. Mary's story does not end at Calvary. The Cross leads to the Resurrection. Her sorrow is transformed by the joy of Christ's victory.
As we remember Our Lady of Sorrows, may we ask her to help us carry our own crosses with faith and to remain close to those who are suffering.
Our Lady of Sorrows, pray for us.
